Yes I agree,but churchill was craftier,although not as crafty as Stalin 😀
I read a book titled ‘Op JB’ some years ago,good reading,the author worked for Ian Fleming as an agent (allegedly 😀 ) and came up with a good story about a Dutch Submarine crew and Pearl Harbour.
There was a disclaimer at the front of the book which stated (something like) the author claims this story is true etc etc, but it is a good read for the cynics like me 😀 !!

cheers baz

Dutch sub saw the japanese fleet, tried to send a warning signal, it was stopped and then they used a young agent to sink the sub ?? I know it… also in the excellent Churchill based novels (Winstons war etc…) can’t recall the author now (he wrote house of cards…) it alludes to slight of hand by Winston about the pearl harbour attack, cracking novels actually – and besides, when did the truth ever get in the way of a good story.

Is there a contest for the thread thats wondered furthest !?

Yes possibly,and also at least partly true about Goering,but Hitler was not a good strategist and did not usually make the logical decision that a professional soldier might make.

cheers baz

ever read “Stalingrad” or “Berlin, the downfall” by Anthony Beevor? “Ok, we’ll move the 10th panzer brigade here”, “actually, its two kids on bikes”…. “they will win”…. scary stuff but you are right. Then again, oddly enough, Churchill wasn’t either by some accounts. Still, history shows the “winners”….

Rear fogs are useful – when the afore mentioned BMW is about 3cm’s from your rear bumper, hit the fogs, watch his nose dip as he breaks in near panic, then ease in and let him pass:diablo:

My question is, what will be the story told about the Iraq Wars in 60 years time, who will be the heros and villains then. Will people denegrate the memory of Blair? What will history be saying about the Basra Road?

Is history ever a true representation of events?

As “those who were there” pass with time, more and more of what people say is based on their written and spoken legacy, a key difference now is that in the modern world the media (and others) make sure that we have far more info that was ever imaginable in the 40’s. I work on the edge of broadcasting (tech support for broadcast equipment) and I recall at my interview telling them that when I was about 8, I remember the news on TV with the helicopters leaving Saigon. Grainy 8 mm film a few days old. When I was 16 I watched a 24/48 hr delay of footage from the Falklands, much of it censored. When I was 26 I turned on the TV and virtually rode SMART bombs through windows in Iraq while live newsfeed showed cruise missles flying through the streets.

Add this to a far greater trust of Government than we will ever show again means that we will judge and comment far far quicker now than we ever did before.

I’ve been watching this thread run all day, and I think that a major point has been missed. It’s open free speech and debate. I agree with kev to a point, and j boyle and not so much on other points. Its what we hold our society up to be founded on – and we are showing that open debate right now.

We live in society that (generally) tolerates such debate, I may be wrong on fact, not because I am of a set religion, race, creed or support Tottenham (sympathy ploy !?)

My point is that Harris was fighting a war, only the second truely mechanised industrial war, where the deaths of millions was the result. As the human race evolves and matures, opinions and actions do – very few would now openly target a civilian target, only the cowards with hoods over their heads. To our shame however, humans will still kill humans over race, creed, or even a football team. Harris served, as did his men, with the weapons and philiosophy of the day. I disagree strongly with the lady that started this, and think she needs to read up and see some sights, Belson etc. But she has that free speech provided and protected by Harris and countless others, its her right to use it, and mine to ignore hers.

I do a fair bit of plastic modelling. I have just finished the Matchbox Lysander and Spitfire 22/24 in 1:32 scale. I now have their Me109E on the bench. These are all being built for Telford.

Apart from that i also have a Spitfire T8 in 1:48th scale thats in the process of being painted.

I did that Lysander years ago before I moved out of my parents – I left a big Lysander wing outline on the carpet from spraying it black and forgetting the newspaper !!

must admit to being tempted by those big (1/24) airfix kits, did them years ago, heard tell that they plan a 1/24 mossie….. I have a 1/32 die cast that needs a hanger of its own…. 1/24…. fun fun fun.

not quite historic but…

I live between RAF Odiham and Salisbury Plain – Chinook turf ! – and we get NIMBY letters to the local rag etc, “i paid good money to live in a nice place but…..”

How long has Odiham been an active airfield…..? OK, a Chinook at zero feet is noisy but to say it “hurts your ears” is an overstatement surely !?